Macedonian Ministries installs water system at Manzibomvu

Pictured is the Macedonian Ministries's team who were involved in the drilling and installation of the much-anticipated water system at Manzibomvu Baptist Church in KwaZulu-Natal. 

March is Water Action Month which contributes to the awareness of World Water Day on 22 March. This entails a month of global action calling for communities and organisations alike to stand together and improve access to safe water supplies and adequate sanitation. 

Macedonian Ministries, a registered Public Benefit Organisation (PBO), is certainly doing their part in securing a clean water supply for the community at Manzibomvu in northern KwaZulu-Natal. At the end of February, the organisation completed two phases of setting up an electric-operated submersible pump borehole at local Baptist church Manzibomvu.

The people in this region have been experiencing an eight-year drought. Although infrastructure for a water system used to exist at the church, it deteriorated over the years and couldn’t deliver the water volumes needed by the community. 

More than 1 000 locals are able to use the new pump system to access their daily water supply, but collecting this precious commodity used to be a taxing task. Alson Ncube, Pastor at Manzibomvu Baptist Church, shared that locals were accustomed to hiring cars and even walking the two-kilometre journey to fetch water. 

“Getting water used to be a real problem, but now it’s solved. The system will serve the local community well because there’s plenty of clean water for the church and even for those who aren’t church members,” Alson said. 

Macedonian Ministries frequently visits the congregation and assists where possible. This particular project had been on the cards for some time, and after a year of planning, the team was able to commence drilling and supply the community with a strong flow of potable water.

Phase One included selecting the site for the borehole, drilling to a depth of 34 metres and installing the pump and electrics. After being satisfied with the volume and water quality, the team capped the borehole. Phase Two saw the installation of a temporary 2 500 litre water tank connected to the borehole to store excess water for the community to use. 

Having already built ablutions on site, the PBO has plans to install additional tanks on site to provide enough water for the ablution blocks, toilets and a newly-built kitchen. 

Trent Eayrs, Director of Ministry at Macedonian Ministries, oversaw the proceedings on the day. He expressed his hopes for the water system, saying that people in the community will be attracted to what they’re doing out of love. 

“We completed a similar set-up in Mozambique, and I’ve seen that every evening and morning, there’s a hub of activity at the pump as people collect their water. It’s something we envision for the community at Manzibomvu.” 

Since Jesus is the one who quenches our thirst, this water system displays a biblical picture to those who don’t know Him but who could be drawn in by the access to water at the church. 

“Church exists for the community. We bring a lot of friends to the pump and they are able to see the importance of the church in the community. This type of assistance from Macedonian Ministries brings hope and gives Manzibomvu the opportunity to serve our locals,” said Alson.